History of Gaming in Nevada

2010s

The Nevada gaming and tourism industries continued to face challenges and new opportunities with the turn of the next decade.

Some of the challenges were associated with the fallout from the Great Recession as consumer spending was tempered and gaming expansions moved forward in other parts of the world. While consumers were more cautious with their discretionary dollars, the total volume of visitors helped to support Nevada's gaming industry.

With the new decade came emerging technologies and increased interest in interactive gaming. On February 21, 2013, the Nevada State Legislature approved Assembly Bill No. 114, allowing the state to enter into pacts with other states to offer Internet-based poker, among other items. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval promptly signed the measure into law, placing Nevada at the forefront of online gaming nationally. Consistently held out as the gold standard of regulation and synonymous with world-class tourism, southern Nevada is now well positioned to lead the nation's gaming industry into the digital frontier.

New investments were completed or announced, some of which were new resort properties, while others were designed to upgrade existing assets. Caesars Entertainment completed Project Linq, programmed with an observation wheel, and rebranded its Imperial Palace property to The LINQ Hotel & Casino. In addition, the company closed Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon and replaced it with The Cromwell. MGM Resorts International broke ground on a new $375-million arena near its New York-New York Hotel & Casino and Monte Carlo to be completed in April 2016. In addition, Genting Group acquired an 87-acre property located on the Las Vegas Strip and announced plans for a multi-billion dollar Resorts World Las Vegas, while the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) moved forward on its Global Business District, which includes an expansion of the Convention Center.

Gaming investments in and around the Las Vegas Strip during 2017 and 2018 primarily came in the form of renovations, expansions and rebrands by MGM Resorts International. During this period, MGM completed construction of a new parking facility and the expansion of the conference centers at MGM Grand Las Vegas and the Aria Resort & Casino. Additionally, MGM completed the rebrand of the Monte Carlo into the Park MGM, as well as improvements to its existing parking facilities. Other gaming operators completed renovations and expansions as well, examples include: Caesars Entertainment completing the first phase of its remodel of the Flamingo's hotel rooms, Wynn Resorts completing the construction of the Wynn Plaza and the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas completing room upgrades. Renovation and upgrade activity was not limited to the Las Vegas Strip, as Station Casinos completed the renovation and remodel of Palace Station and the Grand Lodge Casino at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe completed renovations.